Store launch: My Sunny Balcony

Posted on May 14, 2012 by anugummaraju

When a good old friend Reena Changappa, and Sriram Aruvamudam, Shailesh Deshpande, & Athreya Chidambi started My Sunny Balcony, designing and creating balcony gardens in Bangalore a couple of years ago, little did we figure what colour and joy it would bring back to the city. Numerous balcony gardens, patios, terraces, and yards later, they launch their garden accessories store in Ulsoor, Bangalore.

Here are a few glimpses of the store. It is a sure fire booster, the energetic colours, the soothing water features, earthy terra cotta pots, and of course, so much green! Joy!

The pots and terra cotta planters start at Rs.250.

Kettle planters at Rs.1600.

The store is located at:

No.12 | Aga Abbas Ali Road | Next to Peaches Salon | Ulsoor | Bangalore 42

Yellow Button Store, continued

Posted on February 8, 2012 by anugummaraju

Did the first post on this lovely store leave you wanting more? Here goes, then :). I continue to talk to Madhavi, who’s baby this store is. When I ask her what makes her tick and what her greatest motivations are, she says, “My biggest motivations are my two little girls. The day I started the store 10 months ago, my younger one turned 6 months! I wanted to be a stay at home mum as well as a working mum. To have a little store Yellow Button was always a dream! The fact that I had zero retail experience didn’t deter me from starting something on my own that I knew I could be great at! (Now I get my girls to the store whenever I can and my older one (5 years) will help with sticking the labels, arranging earrings or stay busy with her own art work!)”. Is that sweet or what?

Says Madhavi, “Picking products is the most fun part of my job.” I can understand that, picking up products for a store like this would be my dream job! “It is also the toughest”, she says, “because I have to make sure they are different and they are unique and they stand out and also appealing to a larger audience. I want to have good quality products and be associated with artists/designers who not only make great products but are also nice people. I try to select products and promote products that are original work.”

It is a fun collection! And a lot of it is sourced from NGOs that Madhavi works with. Something close to my heart as well. Says Madhavi, “My interest in NGO’s started when I did a project on a women’s self-help group in Tamil Nadu when I was in college. During grad school I interned at the United Nations in NYC. I always thought I’ll continue in the development field, but got sucked into the corporate world and moved to a boutique investment firm after graduating from an MBA in finance (where I worked for more than 6 years). When I started the store, I knew for sure I wanted do a mix of products that were handmade and handcrafted by NGO’s as well a space where I could promote upcoming designers. Our shelf space is limited at the store, so as much as I would love to stock so many more products made by those talented crafts people out there, I will have to do in turns!”

What I also loved was that Madhavi has used old furniture and other objects, repurposed them to make either functional or plain beautiful accessories around the store. Like this old sewing machine stand which is now a table showing off bedspreads.

And this fan which, with its bright colours, completely livens up a space!

And this refurbished vintage chest which now displays the lovely collection of jewellery.

The store stocks plenty of recycled and upcycled products as well! Leaving you with one more glimpse of the store.

The Yellow Button store on Facebook | The website | Mail

080 25262108 / 91 9741511733

House # 787, 12th Main, 1st Cross ,Near Sony Center, HAL 2nd Stage, Indiranagar, Bangalore, India 560038

Happy shopping!

Yellow Button Store

Posted on January 30, 2012 by anugummaraju

A story in two parts, simply because I don’t want to keep any of the gorgeous pics all to myself, and have to share them with you :).

Sunshine, and all the colours of the rainbow, with a good dose of yellow! That’s the Yellow Button store for you. A charming little store that is a craft and design enthusiast’s haven. Don’t let the ‘little’ deceive you though. The store’s stock packs a punch that is a bit hard to recover from! Am not just saying this because I fell in love with most, no, let’s say all the products that Madhavi has put together with great personal care. It’s because you will too.

The store is located just behind 100 feet Road’s bustle in Indiranagar. But climb up an inviting level, enticing you with a Mediterranean blue and the world changes.

Into a riot of colour.

Indian motifs lend themselves so beautifully to colour and Yellow Button counts on just this to make this a cheerful, fun place to discover.

Madhavi Rongala-Pavuluri, who set up the store about a year ago, believes in handpicking the merchandise that find their way to the shelves here. Her sense of aesthetics and design is what makes the store.

A mom of two little girls, Madhavi is one enthusiastic person who loves form and colour. When she moved back here to Bangalore from the US this is just what she planned to do, bring the love to life. And the store is pretty much a culmination of the things that she is interested in. Creating a platform for artists, designers and working with NGOs to source products that are helping people earn a livelihood.

Traditional Indian techniques like fiber and fabric weaving, painting, and pottery are seeing a revolution in expression today. Like this traditional Chettinad weave technique which is used brilliantly here in baskets and trays.

The store is quite full of products like these. here are some more. Mosaic art on bottles, coasters and trays…

Apart from the products themselves, it is a well designed store. Love the way shelves and pegs and stands come together. Especially this attic space with the clear and midnight blue gola bottles, almost a sculptural form in itself.

A number of the products Madhavi sources have a focus on recycling and green living. Like these jewellery pieces created by Sanchali.

The store carries scarves, stoles, dresses, bags, baskets, jutis, key chains, jewellery and so much more! And the furniture that dot the store are vintage and quirky too. So stay tuned for the next post on the store where Madhavi talks about her drive to start this venture.